☆ Star Light, Star Bright [GREATEST HITS]

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I hope you are enjoying my Greatest Hits series! This is because I am taking January off + I am currently reading a book, sleeping on the couch, swimming at the pool, or painting in the studio....

These are the posts that have inspired, helped, motivated + encouraged my readers. How do I know this?

Because you told me. In emails, comments or links.


Enjoy....

☆ ☆ ☆

I love this painting.

I adore it.

I recently shared it on my Facebook page and the reasons why I love it so much.

- It was the first painting that I ever really finished.

- It was the first painting that I shared on this blog.

- It was the first painting that I shared on the illustration Friday website.

- It's my first painting that I ever framed (and still have framed on a shelf in my house)

'Star Light; Star Bright

First star I see tonight

I wish I may; I wish I might

I wish I have my wish tonight...'

It was a painting of many firsts.

But the main reason I still have it framed on the shelf is that it is a reminder. 

Reminding me that I have come so far, that sometimes taking baby steps is ok, and a reminder that when you take brave leaps + share with your friends + family, you will never regret it.

What about you? Do you have a reminder on your wall, on a shelf, in your wallet? What does it remind you of? 

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☆ Courage and Celebration [Life Book]

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Week 48 - Courage and Celebration with Serena Bridgeman

I learnt a brand new technique through this weeks Life Book lesson from Serena Brigdeman. And I love the effect it has had on my painting. It feels like an old piece of furniture that has been painted many times + has been scratched off over time.

And it was just a humble jar of vaseline which helped make this beautiful texture.

My tiger is my bravery totem + always has been (I'm sure I've spoken about Tiffee the Tiger before!)

The quote resonates with me so much at the moment. I decided to use one that I use a lot in my life!

Have a great week.

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☆ Brave Courageous You [Life Book]

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Week 45 - Brave Courageous You with Tamara Laporte

This is another paint over technique lesson, one celebrating the fact that we, well I, am a courageous person.

And while I was painting this one, I was thinking of the things that make me courageous.

Things such as my hope that everything will work out or being open to love and the grace I have for me when I am feeling a little nasty + mean about myself...

I really enjoyed this and the way that this painting turned out.

Have you thought lately about how courageous you are? About how brave you are? Spend five minutes today + I promise you will be amazed!

Have an awesome week.

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☆ Unstumpification [lifebook week 7]

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Say What?

I learnt a new word this week on life book - unstumpification.

When I started seriously drawing (so a very long time ago!) I would trace things.

I would get some baking paper from the cupboard + dig out my Care Bear comic and trace the care bears.

A few years later when I thought I would be a fashion designer I would trace the girls from the Cleo's + Cosmo's that my older cousin would let me read.

But I would be so disappointed with those, because the looked dumpy + stumpy.

I wish I had the amazing Jane Davernport back then to show me how to unstumpify my drawings.

The girl on the left has been unstumpified

Again we were focusing on bravery + the writing is a celebration of all things that I have been bravely doing.

It was a good reminder on a weekend where I have felt a bit down, and feeling a little scared about some things, but as I wrote these things down, I realised I am bravely moving forward, I just need to put on my big girl pants + take it one step at a time.

Have you thought recently about how brave you have been? Have you written it down? I bet you'll be surprised with how brave you truly are!

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☆ Courage + Bravery [Lifebook week 6]

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This weeks lesson was recognising the moments in our life where we were brave or courageous.

And in recognising these moments, (which I found there were more than I thought!), we were to select an animal which we thought represented our bravery.

I have spoken before about my stuffed tiger Tiffee, so it was only natural that the animal symbol I chose was a tiger.

This was a bit of an experiment for me too, because I didn't have any masking fluid for my girl, or any spray inks, so I made do with grease proof paper + making my own spray inks.

And on a side note did you know they are super easy to make? Water + paint in a spray bottle. Simples! (I think there is an exact formula like 3 parts paint to one of water but I don't bother)

I drew my girl walking forward, because I need to remind myself that to be courageous, it takes one step at a time!

I am really enjoying my lifebook experience this year, I am learning so many new techniques + since I started later, it was easy to let go of the rigidity + rules that I had set myself last year (You know those rules you set yourself? I must complete each lesson as it comes out, no skipping forward + no moving on until the last piece is finished!) 

Ridiculous! 

But as this is the year of Release, it feels good to break through the rigidity. 

So I am sure I am not the only one with rules that need to be broken. If you feel like sharing I would love to know which rules you need to break more often!

By the way - have you had a chance to enter this months give away? Entries close Thursday evening, so pop over now for a free entry!

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☆ Life Lessons From Bean + Bug

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Have you taken the time to realise that the people closest to you are probably teaching you valuable life lessons? Take a moment to really think about it.... 

I am constantly surprised by the life lessons that I have learned from my girls. 

I had no idea that I would learn from them as much if not more that they are from me. I shouldn't have been surprised really!

This past month, Bean (the pink pirate) has been reminding me about bravery. About how to be brave even when you are scared witless.

About how to be brave despite being scared witless. 

And considering that my word for 2012 is 'bravery', [you can read why I chose this particular word here], it is a synchronistic reminder that I need to step up, and start being braver.

Bean has been through an ordeal this last month: her four year old injections, she's seen a doctor for an ear infection (and dealt with the ear drops that followed), had eye drops for gunky eyes, and is starting her first day of preschool tomorrow.

And she has resisted, and cried and run away (from the ear drops that is!), and decided she didn't want me to leave her behind, but in the end she has persevered and bravely faced each challenge head on.

I have also resisted, and cried and run away, from my challenges, and just like Bean I am trying to bravely face each one. But sometimes I need visual a reminder too. [I am after all a visual kinda girl.]

Lessoned Learned. 

So did you think about it? And what did you discover? I would love it if you shared your story! 

By the way - did you know that Septembers FREE GIVE AWAY is open for entries? It is so easy to enter - JUST CLICK HERE

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☆ 2012 - the Year of Bravery

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Do you have a word that you connect to? A word that speaks to your soul, a word that becomes a part of your daily living?

Last year I was inspired by Ali Edwards and her One Little Word for 2011. Last year the word that was in my mind was intent. But it was a word that didn't sit comfortably with me. It was a word that was to describe my 2011 dreams, and intent was a good word, but I think it was to broad.

This years word was different. This year I knew the word for 2012 before the end of November.

This year is the year of bravery.

Let me share with you a little story. (ok so its not so little)

I was out for a walk one afternoon, listening to my ipod, when my mind began to wander, and I began reminiscing. When Mr Mac and I were in our mid 20's we took what we called a mature age gap year. Scrimping and saving, then quitting our jobs, storing our possessions, and selling our cars, we booked our 'round the world tickets and took off for Europe.

As I was reminiscing, I marvelled at how brave we were to do that, to go on our grand adventure and laughing at how naive we were. We travelled mostly in Eastern Europe and we didn't have a clue what the next day would bring us, what new adventure, and we probably, in our naivety ended up in some very dodgy places.

But for six months, we didn't have a plan, except to go where ever, do whatever and see what we wanted. Now I know that many people have done this before us, but for us it was a huge leap of faith and bravery.

So, (and yes I am going somewhere with this), as I am congratulating myself on this act of bravery that changed the course of our lives, I realised two things, firstly that it was exactly ten years ago this year that we left, and secondly that when I moved back home from Scotland, I started to slide back into the way I had been before we went overseas.

Yes I was creating, and painting that's not what I mean, I was playing it safe and I was starting to fall into a rut.

The year of Bravery is inspired by life and all the crap from last year, inspired by the other amazing artists out there, and inspired by the support and concern of you guys, I am going to spend 2012 being brave.

So do you have a word that you've connected to? That inspires you? That pushes you? I would love to hear if you are inspired by a word and how you came to choose it?

☆•*¨*•.¸¸

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